Anand stuns Carlsen in
Game 3 to level
World Chess Championship
World Chess Championship
Sochi (Russia): Viswanathan Anand pulled
one back when it mattered the most and scored a crushing victory over defending
champion Magnus Carlsen in the third game of the world chess championship now
underway in Sochi.
Having lost the second
game of the match, Anand was almost in a must-win situation and the Indian ace
came up with his best effort against Carlsen in recent years.
Viswanathan Anand and
Magnus Carlsen. Image courtesy: FIDA
Equalising the score
on 1.5-1.5 after the third of the 12-game match, Anand also ended a four year
drought by beating Carlsen in Classical chess game as the last victory by five
times world champion over the Norwegian had come way back in 2010 under this format.
For the first time in
his world championship matches against Anand, Carlsen went for the theoretical
duel and was duly punished in a well analysed variation.
For the record, it was
a Queen's gambit declined by Carlsen, a natural choice with a full point
cushion to back him. Anand went for a deeply analysed variation and was
pleasantly surprised to find Carlsen game.
The players followed a
2013 game played between Levon Aronian and Michael Adams and it was Carlsen who
did not seem to keep track of this game well.
While going behind on
time, Carlsen found the right manoeuvres but Anand was still in his
preparation. On move 20, the new idea was revealed by Anand which was a big
improvement on the existing game in the position.
Carlsen had to again
sink in long thoughts intermittently during the rest of the game as one or the
other problem was posed by Anand with a well-supported passed pawn on the
seventh rank.
Anand kept the
momentum ticking without any further slips and piled on the pressure in almost
Carlsenesque-style — giving the Norwegian a taste of his own medicine.
For once Carlsen was
on the receiving end he could only delay the inevitable. Making matters worse
at this point was the clock that was ticking away and Anand sealed the issue
after Carlsen made a blunder on move 28. Anand swapped a piece and it was all
over in 34 moves.
PTI
